NIGELLA’S SCRUMMIEST XMAS RECIPES EVER
FABULOUS 4-PAGE PULLOUT OF NIGELLA’S BEST FESTIVE RECIPES
It has been 20 years since Nigella Lawson published her bestselling first book, how to Eat, and to celebrate, she’s helped us choose the best festive recipes from her two decades as a food writer. Following saturday’s turkey with all the trimmings and yesterday’s dinner with a difference, today Nigella shares a mouthwatering Boxing Day spread to remember. I THINK this really says it all. I have written so many recipes for trifle, I scarcely dare reiterate my love for it. But this, perhaps the most traditional of my offerings, shows the sensational, timehonoured pud at its glorious, many-layered best: the jam-slashed and sherry-sodden sponge, the sharp, fruity layer of flavour-oozing berries, the eggy custard and the whipped cream. Perfection. SERVES 20 EASILY FOR THE CUSTARD: ● 1 litre double cream
● 8 egg yolks (you can freeze whites in an airtight freezer bag for up to 6 months) ● 2 whole eggs ● 50g caster sugar ● 1 tsp vanilla extract FOR THE BASE: ● 2 packets trifle sponges (8 sponges in each packet) ● 1 x 340g jar strawberry or blackberry jam ● 500ml cream sherry ● 2 x 380g packets frozen summer fruits, thawed ● Zest of 1 orange ● 25g caster sugar FOR THE TOPPING: ● 500ml double cream ● 50g pistachios ● 1 tbsp crystallised rose petals (or crystallised violet petals) from specialist cake decoration stores or online 1 To make the custard, heat the cream in a large, wide, heavy-based pan and, while it’s heating, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs and caster sugar in a bowl. When the cream is at boiling point — though don’t actually let it boil — take it off the heat and pour it over the eggs and sugar, whisking as you go. Wash out the pan (boring, but it does have to be done), then pour the uncooked custard back into it and return to the heat.
2 Cook over a medium heat (people will tell you it should be a low heat, but that is just too tedious for words), stirring all the time, until it has thickened. It must never boil! after 10 to 15 minutes, it should be thick enough, so straight away pour it into a cold, clean bowl, add the vanilla extract and whisk a bit to help bring the temperature down. Cover the very top of the custard, as well as the bowl, with cling film and leave to cool while you start assembling your trifle.
3 SplIT the 16 trifle sponges in half and make into sandwiches with the jam. Squidge these into the base of your trifle bowl. a trifle bowl should, I feel, be glass, so you can see the layers from the outside. The proportions vary and, since the point of a trifle is the layers, the dimensions of your bowl will determine how these build up and the amount of sponge etc. you will need. pour the sherry over the sponge sandwiches and let it soak in.
4 NoW, tumble in the thawed summer fruits, with a little of their liquid. (It MYBOOZY BRITISH TRIFLE might seem unseasonal to use ‘summer’ fruits, but I love their tartness against the sweetness of the custard, which will drape over them.) Then grate the zest of the orange over the fruit and sprinkle with the caster sugar.
5 WheN the custard is cool, remove the cling film. pour and scrape the custard on top of the berries. It will be soft-set; thickened but far from solid. Cover the bowl (but not the custard this time) with some fresh cling film and refrigerate for at least half a day or for up to 2 days — it’s this standing time that makes the difference.
6 WheN you are ready to serve, take the trifle out of the fridge to stand for about 1 hour. Whisk the cream until softly whipped. You don’t want it to merge with the custard, but nor do you want it stiffly peaking. Remove the cling film from the trifle bowl and spread the cream on top of the custard with a rubber spatula. Finely chop the pistachios, sprinkle over the top of the trifle and adorn with a few beautiful crystallised rose or violet petals.